Feminist Formation!

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Petticoat Pistols: The Public Universal Friend

"THE PUBLIC UNIVERSAL FRIEND" AND THE FAITHFUL SISTERHOOD

Growing up a Quaker, Jemima Wilkinson was an adept horse rider, an avid reader, and could quote long passages of the Bible and prominent Quaker texts from memory. She later joined the New Light Baptists.

After contracting a disease, Wilkinson said she was visited by two archangels and according to her, she died, with her soul ascending to heaven and her body reanimated with a new spirit preaching God’s word. She no longer went by her previous name but by the genderless "Universal Friend."

Her followers included her family members ostracized by Quakers, and many others, with her strongest supporters being unmarried women who took leading roles in their households and community.

The Friends teachings focused on Quaker beliefs with women following God (not men), the abolition of slavery, and free will, but also encouraged sexual abstinence.

The Friend’s outfit was androgynous, feminine, masculine, and clerical. Their voice too was different, with varying accounts of what it sounded like. Within her followers was a group of women called “The Faithful Sisterhood” with some of them wearing androgynous clothing and avoiding gendered pronouns.

The Friend preached long sections of the scriptures from memory and their meetings attracted large audiences, including some who formed the congregation of "Universal Friends", making the Friend the first native-born American to found a religious community. Everyone in the community lived together (without a big sense of ownership) that ultimately led to the downfall of Universal Friends.

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#StopTellingWomenToSmile is an important issue to discuss. You may not know why it is such a big deal but here are some major reasons: No one wants anyone else telling them make any sort of facial expression just because someone else wants them to. To tell someone they always need to smile even if they don’t feel like it or are not even happy is uncalled for. Now certain jobs do require employees to create an appearance of positivity and energy to their work for potential clients or talks they may be giving, etc. but it is women who are more criticized than men in those situations. It is also women who are told to “smile more“ by men where is men are rarely told to “smile more.”

Overall this double standard needs to stop and it starts with just simple comments you make to coworkers, friends, strangers in the street, etc. So let’s make life just a little bit easier for women every day. 🙂

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Check out the new documentary, “Mercury 13” centering the true story a group of very qualified women who were tested, and passed for space flights in 1961 (doing just as well and better than the men) only to have their would-be achievement taken away because of their gender.

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God Bless Veneida Smith.

So this whole thing started with this tweet by Twitter user Katie Henry (KT_NRE). I started plowing through newspapers to find every mention of her - and found most that were out there, but a man named Todd Sanders, who had access to Pennsylvania libraries, found quite a few more. All of this takes place in October and November of 1922, before timeskipping to September 1923 (her third escape), October 1923 (her guilty verdict), and March 1924 (her escape attempt with Roxie Starcher).

I have been unable to find her obituary or anything else out there about my new hero.

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These women stuck for the fact that sex is consensual otherwise it is rape. Duh!!

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Female-Driven Alternative to Rotten Tomatoes Announced

The Hollywood reckoning continues, this time taking aim at the male-dominated realm of film criticism.

With HALF THE MOVIEGOERS being WOMEN, why should all the CRITICS be MEN? 

Yes of course there are many different male opinions just as there are many different female opinions. And if both men and women are seeing films, both should have people represent them.

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Does American Culture Teach Young Men Growing Up To Be Sexist?

So many aspects of American culture have an underlying sense of women=weakness. Even from a young age boys are ridiculed if they can’t throw hard enough, show the emotion called sadness in the form of our bodies natural self defense (tears), as being “like a girl.” Even all the main cereal box characters are male. Are they afraid boys wouldn’t eat it? Girls do. Same with animated films with female leads. Girls watch both male and female leads in animated films and cartoons. Even comics and animated shows were catered more to boys because they “watch shows more and read comics more” when in reality they don’t. But if all the comic books show women in scantily clad outfits in a position of weakness and all the cartoons have super buff guys fighting villains, you won’t have as many girls interested. However, in the early years is comic book strips both girls and boys read almost 50/50, and in the 1960’s women were the predominant readers. Why? Because comics catered to them. As boys grow up they are told they can’t like or do something to be considered “a man.” Aspects of culture that have been around and respected (and even banned women) for literally centuries like ballet or theater are considered “women’s things.”  Or going to see a female led film is a “lady’s film” and a man is also thought of by other men as being “a pussy” or “gay” if he sees it. Meanwhile women can see both guy and girl films and not be ridiculed at all. Even if a guy listens to one of the highest grossing and award-winning singers like Beyoncé or Taylor Swift they’ll get teased. Or if they watch a Serena Williams match (one of the greatest athletes of all time and certainly the most celebrated Tennis player) they may get the same treatment. As guys get older they are surrounded by a culture that sexualizes women constantly. The idea of “getting laid” is put on such a high pedestal that finding a girl just to “fuck” is the equivalent of treating a human being as an object you can sexual do things to and then leave them the next day without any repercussions. And when a guy is with his buddies, something personal between two people is seen as a baseball game. “How far did you get?” Or guys talking about a girl’s ass they saw. Meanwhile you don’t see women talk in that way anywhere near the same amount as guys. A guy one girl just met is talked about in terms of who he is (as well as his looks)In popular media both men and women are sexualized but while men send as physically super strong that also conveys power while women seen as super thin are seen as objects saying “fuck me.” Even “guy films” rarely show a female  character who’s only reason for being there is to be the girlfriend, sexy eye candy, or death that puts there man on a journey of revenge. Meanwhile in “chick flicks” the man are handsome but most of the time wear clothes like normal people and actually have personality. Even popular lingo like “that’s what she said,” “yo mama,” and “your mom” are used. While “that’s what he said” could equally work on multiple locations, and “yo daddy” and “your dad.” But of course if one guy is trying to piss off/tease another guy he mentions something along the lines of sleeping with that’s guys mom. Once again, women mentioned for sole reason as mentioning “sex,” and yet it’s with a parent so...no. Overall I know for a fact there are many men respectful toward women both in person and when there are no women around. But there is an underlying culture that constantly brings a man down by liking a woman for anything but her body. So what should change? First, don’t bring boys, teenagers, and men down for liking things women like. (We let women like “guy” things so why not men?) Also, don’t teach boys at a young age to connect being like a “girl” or a “female” as weak. We (women) have babies come out of small holes after dealing with all kinds of pain for 9 months, on top of monthly pains, and men who have abused and taken all rights away throughout recorded history and present day remarks and double standards and sexism in many fields, and we are STILL going STRONG! LIKE A BOSS!!! BAM!!

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How To Talk To Women And Not Get In Trouble

Men! Don’t Be Afraid! If you’re feeling nervous suddenly around female friends and coworkers because you don’t know if you’re going to be called “sexist” or a “sexual harasser or assaulter” don’t worry! Here’s one big TIP! 1. Treat female coworkers and friends as equals. Don’t make jokes about women, talk about your hot night in bed with a woman, what you would do to a woman, etc. Any topic that involves treating or looking at a woman as a sexual object, AVOID! That’s it! Use common sense and when in doubt play it extra safe and say, “Would I say this in front of my mom?”

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International Women’s Day And Women’s History Month!!

Both International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month are here to bring awareness to women’s issues all over the world as well to celebrate women for the amazing people they are!!

Did you attend a march?

Below are pics from the Los Angeles march, March 8, 2018.

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These women who faced rape, domestic abuse, assault, child marriage, genital mutilation, and other horrible things have created a haven for themselves and their fellow sisters and support themselves with her crafts while their village is surrounded by thorns.

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Why I Like Kpop More Than Hip Hop

When I look at my playlist I see that a big majority of the songs are not from America but from South Korea. Why is that? Below are some things I have found that led me to liking Kpop. :) 1. The songs are catchy. The lyrics and music videos are also rarely risqué. 2. The Kpop stars are very talented in multiple aspects. They go through ridiculously hard training as trainees, (if they even get chosen), and then keep training for years until they are picked up by a group (which is also unlikely) and then keep training even more. 3. Dancing. The dancing so detailed and the synchronization is so perfect and stylish. 4. Female Rappers. It seems every girl group has at least one female rapper which is more than most American girl groups let alone American female singers. 5. Music videos. The music videos are so colorful and elaborate, have so many stylish outfits, really cool dance numbers, and different singing styles.

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Why I Like Kpop Reality Shows More Than American Reality Shows

As a huge Kpop fan I have found myself becoming a fan of a Kpop group simply by watching a reality show showcasing all the members own personalities and skills as they go on a journey.

Some of my favorite things about Korean Reality Shows:

1. Mostly follows the journey of a Kpop group 2. PG Rating. (that’s the one huge difference) 3. More comedy and fun!

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Although I have not seen this movie, it is one of the many leading lady films getting attention for one of the best films of the year. One part of this article stood out to me that once again shows an attitude of double standards between men and women, based on some criticism of the film: “As for the claim (which has also dogged “I, Tonya”) that a movie can’t — nay, shouldn’t — mix comedy and sickening violence: Um, may I direct you to “Goodfellas”? I don’t recall a huge outpouring of hate for Scorsese mashing up the two. Or any number of hundreds of other (mostly malecentric) movies out there that do likewise.”

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Although I’m happy this is happening and what better film should start with this than Wonder Woman, my question is: Why Wasn’t This Done Decades Ago?

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Wonder Woman 2 will be the first production to adopt new anti-sexual harassment guidelines

Wonder Woman 2 will be the first film to employ the PGA’s anti-sexual harassment guidelines

The new guidelines were ratified by unanimous vote.

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YES!!

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Actress Life Update